Attachment for automatic bowling pin setter



April 24, 1962 A. M. SANDAHL ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMATIC BOWLING PIN SETTERFiled Jan. 12, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ALFRED M. SANDAHL W fi #MATTORNEY Aprll 24, 1962 A. M. sANDAHL 3,031,190

ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMATIC BOWLING PIN SETTER Filed Jan. 12, 1961 2Sheets-Sheet 2 I0- n l8 a fly I j 2o 20 23 23 -E I E :5

INVENTOR ALFRED M. SANDAHL BY W ATTORNEY fitates The present inventionrelates in general to attachments for automatic bowling pin settingmachines and particularly to bowling pin handling apparatus for suchmachines. The majority of the modern day automatic bowling pin settingmachines are designed to automatically cycle a group of bowling pins insuch a manner as to place a set of ten pins on the alley for play and tohold a second set of ten pins ready for placement on the alley after .abowler has finished with the first set of pins. In machines of the typeunder discussion, the cycling of the two sets of ten pins, or a total oftwenty pins, is carried out completely automatically by the pin settingmachine and will continue to provide uninterrupted play on the bowlingalley as long as the twenty pins remain in the machine. As is well knownto those versed in the prior art, the automatic pin setting machines areso designed that an operator, through a suitable control ssytem, maycause the machine to discharge the entire group of pins being handled bythe machine to thus completely clear the machine of the pins. The pinsare usually delivered from the machine via a chute means into storagebins or the like. The machines are then recharged with a complete set oftwenty pins when further play is desired by simply dumping the set ofpins into a receiving station or area usually provided at the rear ofeach machine, remote from the player end of the alley.

In all of the well operated bowling establishments of the present day,it is a common practice to utilize one complete set of twenty pins fordaily bowling purposes, termed Day Wood, and a completely different setof twenty pins for league play where a superior quality of wood isdesired, the latter set being called League Wood. It is thus obviousthat, in large bowling establishments, thousands of pins have to behandled daily in the process of changing from Day Wood to League Wood,the pins not in use being usually collected in containers and storeduntil needed for the next change. The catching of the pins in suitablecontainers, removal .and storage of the containers, the carrying and thedumping of the new pins into the machines is commonly done manually atgreat expense and loss of time to the operator and is an extremelylaborious process for the person making the change.

A further problem faced by the bowling establishment operator is thefact that the automatic bowling pin setting machines are extremelyexpensive, highly complex in operation, not readily adapted to internalchanges or innovations, and impractical to replace because of theexpense.

It is contemplated that the present invention will eliminate theproblems and expense involved in constant, daily operation ofmaintaining the proper rotation of bowling pins in automatic bowling pinsetting machines, by the use of a simple attachment adaptable for usewith existing machines.

The present invention has thus for its primary object, the presentationof novel and useful improvements in bowling pin handling apparatus.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a bowlingpin handling device which constitutes a complete structural unit initself and may be readily attached to operate in cooperation withexisting automatic bowling pin setting machines.

A further object of the present invention is to present 3,@3l,l%Patented Apr. 24, 1%62 a bowling pin handling apparatus which isinexpensive to manufacture, simple in construction and will eliminatethe necessity for manual carrying and handling of bowling p A furtherobject of the present invention is to provide a bowling pin handlingapparatus of the type described which will enable a complete, additionalset of bowling pins to be stored in position at the setting machine,ready for immediate use.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a bowlingpin handling device which will permit the changing of bowling pins in anautomatic bowling pin setting machine in a quick and efficient mannerwith little manual effort.

The means by which the foregoing objects and other advantages, whichwill be apparent to those skilled in the art, are accomplished, are setforth in the following specification and claims and are illustrated inthe accompanying drawings dealing with the preferred embodiment.Reference is made now to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational View of the device according to thepresent invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional View taken along lines 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 4-4- of FIGURE 2.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are usedto indicate identical parts in the various views, the preferredembodiment of the present invention comprises a vertical tubular support1 having a lower attaching portion 2 extending at right angles theretoand secured by any suitable means such as welding or brazing to theangular bracket 3 carried on the rear face of a vertical shielding plate4 which is in turn attached to a horizontally extending channel bar 5 asillustrated in FIGURE 1. The top face of the channel member 5 carries aflat horizontal bracing plate 6 which acts along with the attachingportion 2 and bracket 3 to securely hold the tubular support 1 in avertical position. The vertical support 1, shield plate 4 and channelbar 5 are all located and fixed in position across the lower portion ofan opening in a pin setting machine at a position, usually at theextreme rear of the machine, which defines the pin ejecting and pinreceiving station of the automatic bowling pin setting mechanism. Onlyso much of the automatic setting machine as is necessary for thecomplete illustration of the present device is shown in FIGURE 1 andincludes a channel member 7 which defines the rim of the opening in theejecting and receiving station of the setting machine. The channelmember 7 is usually located in the rear face of the setting machine anddefines a circular access opening. As illustrated in FIGURE 1, thehorizontal bar 5 extends across a lower portion of the opening definedby the channel 7 and is secured by any suitable means thereto with thevertical tubular support 1 being located substantially in the center ofthe opening and extending a short distance above the bar 5. A pinejecting chute 8 extends from the inner portion of the machine outwardlythrough the access opening and has a terminating lip portion 9 locatedsome distance directly above the top of the vertical support 1, asviewed in FIGURE 1. The internal mechanism of the automatic pin settingmachine would be located to the right of the channel 7 with the pinsbeing ejected through the top portion of the opening by the chute 3 withsuitable pick-up means being located at the bottom of the opening. Thedetails of the ejecting mechanism and of the pin pick-up mechanism arenot illustrated and form no part of the present invention.

A vertical post is mounted in the tubular support 1 and is capable oftelescopic and rotational movement relative to said tubular support.Identical U-shaped channel members 11 and 12 are mounted in verticallyspaced relationship on the post 19 and are fixed relative thereto by anysuitable means. The channel members 11 and 12 are disposed at rightangles to the post 10, are parallel to each other and are connectedtogether at their outer ends by vertical frame members 13 shown inFIGURES l and 2. The parallel spaced channel members 11 and 12 withtheir connecting members 13 form a rigid rectangular frame on the post10. The lower channel member 12, being fixed to the post 10 limits thedownward telescoping movement of the post within the support 1 and restson the upper end of the support 1 to provide a bearing surface for therotation of the rectangular frame and vertical post 10 relative to thesupport 1. In addition to the vertical end frame members 13, therectangular frame further includes closely spaced vertical rod members14, shown in FIGURE 2, which connect the upper and lower channels 11 and12. To complete the structure of the rectangular frame, attaching loops15 are affixed to each end of the top channel member 11 and extend in ahorizontal plane. The purpose of these loops will be presentlyexplained.

Two identically constructed basket members 16 and 17 are provided formounting on the rectangular frame. The details of construction of onlyone of such baskets will be described with the understanding that thesecond basket is identical in every feature. Looking now to theconstruction of the basket 16, the body thereof comprises a topsemi-circular rod 18 and a bottom semi-circular rod 19. The terminalends of the top rod 18 are bent downwardly to form hooks 20 which engagethe loops 15, and the terminal ends of the lower or bottom rod 19 areconnected by an angle iron 21, one leg of which bears against the bottomchannel 12 and the other leg of which serves as an attaching surface forthe terminal ends of the rod 19. The end portions 22 of the semicircularrod 19 are also seen to be bent or inclined slightly upwardly. The toprod 18 and the bottom rod 19 are connected throughout their length by aseries of closely spaced vertical rods 23 which serve to hold the rods18 and 19 in proper spaced relation and which form the outside wall ofthe semi-circular basket. All of the various rod members may be fastenedtogether by any suitable means such as spot welding or the like. Thebottom of the basket is formed in two sections comprising a stationaryinclined section .and a pivotable horizontal section. The divisionbetween the stationary and pivoted sections of the bottom comprises abottom cross bar 24 which extends across the bottom of the basket fromone leg of the semi-circular rod 19 to the other leg and is attached tothe respective legs at the base of the upwardly inclined portions 22.The cross-bar 24 also has two identical upstanding legs 25 which extendto the top rod 18 and perform the same function as the vertical rods 23.Closely spaced inclined rods 26 extend between the cross rod 24 and theangle iron 21 to complete the stationary inclined portion of the bottom.The pivotal portion of the basket bottom comprises arcuate shaped rod27, which conforms to the curvature of the bottom rod 19 and is spacedslightly therefrom. The ends of the rod 27 are provided with hearingsleeves 28 which engage the cross bar 24- to provide a pivotal mountingfor the horizontal portion of the bottom. Intermediate rods 29 are alsopivoted on the cross bar 24- at one end and rigidly secured to thearcuate rod 27 at the opposite end. The intervening spaces between thecross bar 24, arcuate rod 27 and the intermediate rods 29 are broken upby the cross rod 30 and a number of rod loops 31.

The pivotal portion of the bottom of the basket provides a release doorfor the pins contained within the basket when it is desired to dump thepins from the basket and the inclined stationary portion of the bottomfunctions to insure the removal of all of the pins within the basket.The open position of the door is illustrated in FIGURE 3 and when in aclosed position, the door will extend in a horizontal plane. The meansby which the door is held in a closed position until dumping is desiredmay comprise a vertical releasing rod 32 pivotally mounted in thebearing brackets 33 attached to the inner face of a fiat vertical strip34 which extends between the top rod 18 and the bottom rod 19. A collar35, fixed to the release rod 32, supports the rod in the bearings 33. Anoffset handle 36 is formed on the top of the rod 32 and a holding finger37 is formed on the bottom end of the rod 32. The handle 36 and theholding finger 37 are so disposed on the rod 32 that when the handle 36is turned to extend substantially parallel with the rod 18, the holdingfinger 37 extends normal to the bottom rod 19 to support the free end ofthe pivoted door. When it is desired to open the door and to dump thecontents of the basket, the handle 36 is simply turned to a positionnormal to the top rod 18. This .allows the door to pivot downwardly andthe pins will pass therethrough by the action of gravity.

To complete the entire structure and to insure that the basket membersare held in proper position with respect to the delivery chute 8, a hook38 or any other suitable form of connection may be employed between thelip of the chute 8 and the top of the post 10.

With the baskets 16 and 17 attached to the vertical post and rectangularframe in the manner described and illustrated in FIGURE 1, the automaticpin setting machine may be controlled by the operator to discharge thepins into the chute 8 and as they are ejected, the basket 17, with itsbottom closed, will serve to catch the pins. The basket 16 will havebeen previously filled with an alternate set of twenty pins and at theappropriate time the operator may simply turn the handle 36 of therelease rod 32 to open the release door in the bottom of the basket toallow the new set of pins to be deposited into the pin receiving stationof the machine. At this time the operator will pivot the entire deviceon its vertical support 1 to reverse the positions of the baskets fromthat shown in FIGURE 1 so that the full basket of pins will be locatedover the pin receiving station and the empty basket will be located soas to receive pins from the ejection chute 8. The empty basket mayeither be allowed to remain in its mounted position or may be carriedfrom one machine to the other as it is needed. From the foregoingdescription of the use of the present device, it is seen that thenecessity for lifting or carrying a single bowling pin has beeneliminated and that the entire operation of switching the sets of pinsmay be accomplished within a very short time without interrupting thecourse of play on the alley involved.

It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the presentinvention provides novel and useful improvements in bowling pin handlingapparatus. The arrangement and types of structural components utilizedwithin this invention may be subject to numerous modification wellwithin the purview of this invention and the applicant intends only tobe limited to a liberal interpretation of the specification and appendedclaims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a bowling pin setting machine having a pin receiving station and avertically spaced pin delivery chute, a bowling pin handling apparatuscomprising; a support pivotally mounted on said machine adjacent saidpin re ceiving station and below said pin delivery chute, two baskets,means to removably mount said baskets on said support, one of saidbaskets being normally positioned adjacent said pin receiving stationand the other of said baskets being normally located remote from thereceiving station and in position to receive pins from said deliverychute, whereby the contents of said one basket may be emptied intothereceiving station and said other basket may receive pins from said chuteand the position of said baskets may be reversed by pivoting thesupport.

2. In a bowling pin setting machine having a pin receiving station and avertically spaced pin delivery chute, the combination comprising; avertical support post, means to mount said post on said machine forpivotal movement about its vertical axis, a vertical rectangular framerigidly attached to said post, said frame being positioned adjacent saidpin receiving station and below said pin delivery chute, a first andsecond basket means, both of said basket means including pivoted bottomportions and means to releasably latch said bottom portions in a closedposition, mounting means carried by said vertical frame and said basketsto removably mount said baskets on the opposite sides of said verticalframe with said first basket means being normally located adjacent saidpin receiving station and the second basket means being normally locateddirectly below said chute, whereby the contents of said first basket maybe emptied into said pin receiving station and the second basket meansmay receive pins from said chute and the positions of said first andsecond baskets may be reversed by pivoting said frame.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein each of said basketsincludes a fixed inclined bottom portion extending from one side thereofdownwardly toward the center of the basket, a horizontal portionextending from the opposite side thereof to the base of said inclinedportion, means to pivot said horizontal portion on the base of saidinclined portion, and means to releasably latch said horizontal portionin a closed position.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 2 and said first and said secondbasket means being identical in construction and comprising an uprightsemicircular wall with the open end of each basket means being adjacentthe vertical rectangular frame when in a mounted position whereby 35said frame forms a partition between said basket means. 5. A bowling pinhandling apparatus comprising, a

stationary support, a vertical post pivotally mounted on said support, aframe rigidly mounted on said post, two baskets, means removablymounting said baskets on opposite sides of said frame, said basketsincluding pivoted bottom doors and means releasably latch said doors ina closed position.

6. A bowling pin handling apparatus comprising in combination; astationary support, a vertical post mounted on said support for pivotalmovement about its vertical axis, a rectangular vertical frame rigidlymounted on said post and including a top cross member and a bottom crossmember extending at right angles to said post and vertically spacedthereon, first and second containers, each of said containers havingpivoted bottom portions, means to releasably latch said bottom portionsin a closed position, and means removably mounting said first and secondcontainers on opposite sides of said vertical frame for pivotal movementtherewith.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein said rectangular frameincludes a plurality of horizontally spaced vertical members extendingbetween said top and bottom cross members, and each of said first andsecond containers includes a fixed inclined bottom portion extendingfrom one side thereof downwardly toward said pivoted bottom portion, thevertical walls of said containers being semicircular in cross sectionwith the open end of each container being adjacent the rectangular framewhen in a mounted position whereby said frame forms a partition betweensaid containers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS354,697 Gabay Dec. 21, 1886 2,138,967 Harris Dec. 6, 1938 2,786,679Strauss et a1 Mar. 26, 1957 2,967,708 Huck et al. Jan. 10, 1961

